Manual reset motor protectors are used to cut power to a motor under conditions that may damage the motor, such as overheating or electrical overload. Once the source of the problem has been corrected, the power to the motor is restored by pushing a reset button located on the protector. Such protectors should be mounted as close to the windings of the motor as possible so that they can detect the heat of the windings. However, the manual reset button on the protector should be accessible from outside the motor. Accordingly, it is often desirable to mount the protector to the inside of the motor endshield.
Many manual reset motor protectors include mounting “ears” that allow the protector to be mounted to an endshield of the motor using conventional fasteners. However, in order to meet UL limited short circuit testing and electrical spacing requirements, additional devices are often needed. These devices may include gaskets, mylar sleeves, endshield flame barriers, and housings.
For automatic reset protectors without mounting ears, a simple stamped metal bracket has been provided in prior art motors. However, this bracket is not appropriate for manual reset protectors because it is not designed to handle the load imposed by pushing the manual reset button. It also does not, by itself, enable the motor to meet UL limited short circuit testing requirements, and therefore the aforementioned additional devices are often employed. Moreover, the prior art does not include an appropriate bracket for mounting an “earless” manual reset protector to a motor endshield.